diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/impl/VirtualDirectoryImpl.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/impl/VirtualDirectoryImpl.java
index 05e8e8bb5610..57d6cba4a460 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/impl/VirtualDirectoryImpl.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/openapi/vfs/newvfs/impl/VirtualDirectoryImpl.java
@@ -336,10 +336,10 @@ public class VirtualDirectoryImpl extends VirtualFileSystemEntry {
 
       if (getId() > 0) {
         myData.myChildrenIds = result;
+        setChildrenLoaded();
         if (CHECK) {
           assertConsistency(caseSensitive, Arrays.asList(childrenIds));
         }
-        setChildrenLoaded();
       }
 
       return getArraySafely();